Jgpicos Pico

[jgpico]

where did you get the nozzle that you have on your power head?

It's just a piece of locline. I put it on to split the flow and it works great.

[JR!]

It's just a piece of locline. I put it on to split the flow and it works great.

i c

[jgpico]

I'm thinking about changing my light cycle. but I'm not sure what would be best. I am currently running a split cycle but I'm not liking it anymore. I would like to have the light on for a while longer at night when I get home from work. What is the longest light cycle you guys would recommend?

[.Newman.]

at what times is the light running right now and at what time do you need it to be on?

[jgpico]

My light turns on at about 6:30AM then goes off at 11:30AM. Then It comes back on at around 4:30PM and turns off at 9:30PM. I have had it on this split light cycle for a couple reasons. The first reason is because I enjoyed looking at the tank in the morning when I wake up and also see it with the lights on when I get home. The other reason was because when I first set up the tank a year ago I read a study about the split light cycle helping with growth. To be honest I have seen some growth out of certain corals in my tank but nothing crazy. I have seen much better growth in other peoples tanks with a regular light cycle. I am much more motivated to mess with my tank at the end of the day rather than in the morning when I'm looking at my tank half asleep anyways. How long of a light cycle is too long? If it were you and you got off at work at 9pm what would your light cycle be?

[.Newman.]

you'll want about 9 hours total.

 

how about 6:30am until 10:00am and then 7:00pm until 12:00midnight.

until what time do you look at the tank at night?

 

I've found lighting schedule is very flexible. i used to run a split cycle for more than a year, but recently I'm running a normal 8.5 hour straight period. my coral still grows fine.

[jgpico]

you'll want about 9 hours total.

 

how about 6:30am until 10:00am and then 7:00pm until 12:00midnight.

until what time do you look at the tank at night?

 

I've found lighting schedule is very flexible. i used to run a split cycle for more than a year, but recently I'm running a normal 8.5 hour straight period. my coral still grows fine.

That doesn's sound bad. I think 12:00 midnight is a good time to turn off because thats about the time I go to bed. Do you think that having the lights off for that long during the day can have a negative impact on anything?

[.Newman.]

definitely not. mine has been through that for a while. just remember to change the lighting period slowly each week or so. they're not going to like fast transitions, but im sure they can adapt either way.

[jgpico]

ok well it looks like I will be changing it to that here in the next couple of days. This will make it easier to do any maintenance on the tank as well because for some reason I dont like doing anything unless the lights are on lol. Plus I will be able to enjoy my tank more often.

[lljdma06]

ok well it looks like I will be changing it to that here in the next couple of days. This will make it easier to do any maintenance on the tank as well because for some reason I dont like doing anything unless the lights are on lol. Plus I will be able to enjoy my tank more often.

 

I have mine on for 9 hours timed to when I get home from work until I go to bed. Falling asleep watching a tank is wonderful. Right now, it's a bit of a drag because I'm off and the lights don't come on until the afternoon, but there isn't much better to come home to than beautiful lit tanks with corals all happy and extended. I love it.

 

I don't like doing anything unless lights are on either. I'm afraid I'll knock something over, I'm such a clutz.

 

L

[jgpico]

I like waking up to my tank lights being on and I enjoy sitting in front of my tank with the lights on before I go to sleep. The schedule that newman listed will be perfect, the only reason why I havent changed to that already is because I wasnt sure if the long period during the day with the lights off would cause any issues.

 

I woke up today and decided to give the new food that I got from John at reef cleaners a try. The feeding response was insane! Usually when I feed the tank my lps are super slow and ed up not getting much to eat. When I put a pinch of the food in the tank my scoly opened super fast and looked like it was loving the larger particles of food that it was catching. My goby was flying around snatching food out of the water column and my pom pom was waving its anemones around like a mad man. I have never seen anything in my tank respond like this before to any of the food I have fed. Obviously it's too early to really have a good review on the food but my first impressions are really good.

[lljdma06]

What food did you buy???

 

Sounds yummy.

[jgpico]

What food did you buy???

 

Sounds yummy.

It's the filter feeder food from john at reef cleaners

[.Newman.]

sounds good. sound a bit like when i feed my tank with zooplankton and phyto powders.

[jgpico]

sounds good. sound a bit like when i feed my tank with zooplankton and phyto powders.

This stuff is awesome! All of the palys/zoas were all closing on the food as well. I really hope I see some positive growth and color from this food. I am planning on feeding a pinch about once every other day or once every three days. Do you think that is too much?

[.Newman.]

you mean your zoas and palys were not closing on food before? (palys more-so than zoas)mine also close when i feed my tank each week.

 

i think you should feed it two times a week max. imo its good to feed a generous portion once, right before the weekly WC. but its up to you. smaller portions during the week may work.

[jgpico]

you mean your zoas and palys were not closing on food before? (palys more-so than zoas)mine also close when i feed my tank each week.

 

i think you should feed it two times a week max. imo its good to feed a generous portion once, right before the weekly WC. but its up to you. smaller portions during the week may work.

The zoa/paly's would close on food on occasion but not like this. Almost every polyp in my tank got something to eat. Just like the scoly opening for food the zoa/paly polyps caught some food and closed.

[jgpico]

So today was a bitter sweet Christmas for me. I had a great day with my family and got some sweet stuff but my derasa clam also took a turn for the worse. I woke up and looked at my tank as always and my derasa looked horrible. I had to go to families houses and when I got back it was worse then when I left. It wouldn't respond to anything and its valves were both wide open and gaping. I decided I needed to pull it out of the tank before it started to decay and take out everything else in my tank. It really sucks but I guess its part of this hobby. I kept it happy and healthy for quite a while. I'm going to focus on just keeping the tank healthy and watch everything grow out. I'm not going to do anything to put this tanks health in jeopardy. I hope everyone had a great Christmas.

[castiel]

Aww man that sucks. Is the other clam okay?

[lljdma06]

That's awful news.

 

L

[jgpico]

Aww man that sucks. Is the other clam okay?

As far as I can tell the maxima is doing ok but that's the thing with clams, they can look great one minute and on the verge of death the next. That is what happened to the derasa. I will be keeping an eye on it.

[jgpico]

That's awful news.

 

L

Yeah its very horrible news. Yesterday kind of sucked for me.

[ash71089]

that sucks about the clam.. hope the other is ok

[jgpico]

that sucks about the clam.. hope the other is ok

The maxima seems to be doing ok, although I am still having to pull it out every other night to get pyramid snails off of its shell. I am trying my beat to keep it healthy but this constant moving it around and stuff has got to be taking its toll on it.

[Builder Anthony]

Picture?